In the last several decades wind power has grown to be a worldwide phenomenon with spectacular growth in the U.S. Recently, the Department of Energy has called for the development of larger and taller single unit wind machines to capture better wind resource at greater height. The DOE is encouraging the development of systems that will be more efficient in areas with somewhat lower wind speeds, particularly throughout the mid-western states where the resource is considered to be vast, and much development is expected.
With the growing concerns about human caused global warming and instabilities in fossil fuel producing regions of the world, a growing number of people are voicing interest in the development of more wind power and other renewable energy systems.
Examples of systems adapted for harnessing the energy of wind and water are disclosed in the following patents, which are hereby incorporated by reference for their supporting teachings:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,730,643 to Davison discloses wind power machine in which a plurality of sails connected to an endless chain move about an endless horizontal track to drive an electric generator. Each sail is mounted on an individual truck supported on the track. The endless track is arranged as two spaced apart parallel runs connected by semi-circular end sections. Each sail is rotatable about a vertical pivot on its truck and is controllable so that the sails can be positioned to drive the machine while moving along one run of the track and to be positioned to offer the least wind resistance while moving in the reverse direction along the other run of the track. Depending upon the direction of the wind the sails in most instanced can be adjusted to provide drive along both runs of the track. The sails are adjusted by and electric motor drive controlled by a wind vane. In a modified control system an anemometer is provided to over ride the wind vane control to align the sails with the wind to present the least resistance to the wind when the wind power machine is subjected to winds of damaging force.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,163,905 to Davison discloses a submerged water power machine in which a plurality of vertical blades are connected to two endless chains, one located at the top ends and the other located at the bottom ends of the blades. The blades drive the chains about two endless horizontal tracks, and the chains are drivingly coupled to electric generators. Each blade is mounted on an individual truck supported on the top track and is guided at its bottom by a roller within the bottom track. The endless tracks are arranged as two spaced-apart parallel runs connected by semi-circular end sections. Each blade is adjustable about vertical pivot means on its truck and is controllable so that the blades can be positioned to drive the machine while moving along both runs of the tracks. The blades are adjusted either by electric servo motor drive means controlled by a position programmer or by followers carried by the blades and engaging cam tracks. The trucks, top chain and blade-positioning control elements are contained in pressurized inverted cup-hole housing so that these parts operate in air tether than water. Over this housing is a flotation air compartment containing the generators. Tether lines are employed to anchor the machine to the ocean floor. The blades are spaced for enough apart to allow a portion of the water to flow past the first row of blades into the path of the second row of blades, with the blades of both rows oriented to develop driving force on the chains in the same direction of chain travel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,344 to Davison discloses a novel wind or water powered generator apparatus is provided for generating substantial quantities of electricity. The apparatus includes a plurality of sail-driven cars connected to form a continuous chain and suspended from a monorail loop. The car suspension system has two horizontal guide wheels and one vertical carrier wheel. Substantially, the entire weight of each car is carried by its vertical wheel, which is located near the car's center of gravity. Further, all three suspension wheels are located inside the monorail, thereby rendering car derailment virtually impossible. Two sails are attached to each car, one being directed upwardly and the other being directed downwardly. The surface areas of the two sails are such that the average, total current force of each sail is approximately the same. Additionally, the novel sails are free to rotate 360 degrees about their support poles, but they are biased to a preferred orientation. Thus, as the current and biasing forces interact, the cars are propelled along the monorail. Importantly, in the event that destructive strength currents arise, the sails rapidly align themselves with the current, thereby preventing sail destruction. One or more elongated augers are positioned adjacent the monorail loop. Auger drive rollers are attached to each car such that the adjacently moving cars rotate the auger. A generator is connected to the augers so as to be driven thereby.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,075,191 to Davison discloses a power generation assembly for use in generating electrical power from air or water currents, and more particularly to a rail-based conveyance system having low-mass car assembly. It has a rail system. Slidably mounted on the rail is a car assembly. The car assembly includes a linkage portion that couples the car to vane assembly. The vane assembly includes a frame, to which the linkage portion id connected. A power-take-off device engages generator drive wheels, which are coupled to a generator, thereby driving the generator.
While the foregoing prior art references demonstrate improvement in the field of power generation, each of these prior art references have proven inadequate in several respects. First, a system with a single monorail loop would require the monorail to withstand and resist tremendous cantilevering forces. Irregular wind resource acting upon either a large upper or lower vane would demand that the single monorail be constructed with very heavy materials and the monorail would be susceptible to considerable fatigue. This factor limits the size and overall height potential of the system and would reduce economies of scale.
Additional concerns related to the car assembly are the horizontal play allowed in the monorail at the guide wheels. Through there is bias in the design, a shift and wobble would act on the guide wheels as they rounded the semi-circle ends and the guide wheels would skid and reverse rotation for travel on the leeward side of the system. For obvious reasons, this action would cause irregular ware on the guide wheels and the guide wheel's tracking area within the monorail.
Another concern is that the various working parts of the system are vulnerable to the environment. The longevity and efficiencies of the equipment must be protected.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a power generation system that is modified to allow for more stability to efficiently reach greater height of wind resource.